2022 Newsletter Term 1 Week 6

Dear St Joseph’s Families and Friends,

Thank you to our parent community for your kindness, consideration, and polite adherence to changed requirements as we welcomed the new school year and began our students on the next exciting phase of their learning journey. After the ups and downs of the past month it is very exciting to be getting back into routine at school, with learning now in full swing. I have been delighted to see how enthusiastically students have been at getting to know their new learning environments and at giving new experiences a red hot go.  

We have started the school year very quietly and with caution, following the QLD Health COVID regulations and guidelines, doing our very best to keep staff, students, and parents safe, compliant, and healthy. We have been very fortunate that over the last few weeks the impact of Covid in our school community has minimal.

With the lifting of many restrictions in the coming days, soon we will be able to welcome families back into the school. We have a number of events coming up next week. 

Monday 7th March, This will be our first opportunity to come together as a community again to celebrate the beginning of the school year, welcome new staff and families. Mass starts at 9am in the St Joseph’s Church.

Tuesday 8th March We will be holding the AGM for our P&F from 6pm in our flexible learning space. We are hoping to have as many parents attend as possible as we know the benefits for our children when parents are actively engaged in the school community. As all families pay a P and F levy each term, the purpose of the Committee is to plan for and support parent engagement with a focus on ‘Fun’ raising rather than ‘Fund’ raising. A zoom link is available for families who can’t make it to face to face meetings and this year we hope to be able to provide supervision of children so that more families can actively participate.

Friday the 18th March We will be having our first whole school face to face assembly and that evening we welcome families to open classrooms followed by a Welcome BBQ/Disco with drinks and food will be sold on the night. This will be a great opportunity to chat with your child’s teacher, as well as being a relaxed social evening where you can get to know the new families that have joined us this year. Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Parent / Teacher Conferences

Parents will be invited to meet with their child’s classroom teacher/s during Week 9 this term. These interviews will take place on the Tuesday and Wednesday after school. Further details of how to book will be emailed to each family early next week.

Prep Enrolments for 2023 and beyond

Children born between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018 are eligible to attend Prep in 2023. With the 2022 school year now well and truly underway we begin looking ahead to Prep enrolments for the 2023 school year and beyond. Interviews for 2023 Prep placements will be happening from Week 7 of Term 1. We encourage all of our existing families with children eligible for Prep next year to complete and submit an application form as soon as possible so that we can begin the interview process. 

If you have family or friends who are looking for a quality education for their children, we ask our school community to share with them your experiences with St Joseph’s School and the difference a Catholic education makes. Please encourage them to contact the school on

4214 600, take a look at our website or come in and visit us so we that we can discuss enrolling their child.

Have a great rest of the week and God Bless

COVID UPDATE

The premier has announced that face masks will not be required in most settings, including schools, from 6pm on Friday 4 March. The changes apply to all workplaces, schools and shops. Hospitality staff and patrons won’t be required to wear masks at cafés, pubs or restaurants. Masks are still required on public transport, in hospitals, disability care, prisons, aged care, airports and planes. The restrictions that were applied as part of the back-to-school plan for Term 1 2022 will also be removed. 

ASH WEDNESDAY and LENT: This week we celebrate Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, a special time in the year for the Church. On Wednesday all of our classes and shared an Ash Wednesday celebration with the students and staff. 

Ash Wednesday is an opportunity for individuals to consider the upcoming Lenten and Easter seasons and consider how God and Jesus are present in their lives. When I was a little girl, Lent was always a time when we would be encouraged to give something up - chocolate and lollies usually topping the list of suggestions. Although giving up something you enjoy does send a clear message about a commitment to fasting (a key element of Lent), I instead urge our St Joseph’s school community to consider Pope Francis' ideas on fasting instead ...

International Women’s Day Together we can change the lives of women around the world.

Thank you for sending along the Gold Coin donation for Purple Dress this week. With International Women’s Day on Tuesday and Ash Wednesday the following day we thought this was the perfect chance to celebrate the beginning of Lent and support women around the world. All funds raised from the free dress will be used to support the Cartias ‘Women for the World’ project to help change lives, create stronger communities and provide for a better future for women. 

Women and girls around the world face gender discrimination, inequality and poverty. 

• 193 million women currently live on less than $1.90 per day
• 60% of the worlds working poor are women
• 47 million women are expected to be pushed further into poverty because of COVID-19
• 90% of countries have at least one law that discriminates against women

Women and girls living in poverty are more susceptible to domestic violence, exploitation and unsafe working conditions. Around the world, women aged 25 to 34 are 25% more likely than men to live in poverty (United Nations).

PROJECT COMPASSION 2022! Compassion is about much more than just donating money - although this is of course an important part of it. The theme for Project Compassion this year is For All Future Generations. Each week during Lent, our Student Leaders will explore this theme by sharing stories and information with the school community.                                                                   

Thank you for your generosity.

URGENT! Crossing Supervisor needed.

Interested in becoming a Crossing Supervisor? Although I enjoy greeting families and students who use the crossing each day, this is not a feasible long-term solution. I encourage all families to either spread the word that we are looking for a crossing supervisor or consider taking on the role full time/part time. Any enquires please call 4214 6600